The present application relates generally to the field of closure caps for containers and in particular to a child-resistant spout closure for a container with a xe2x80x9cfluid tightxe2x80x9d seal.
Child-resistant caps have been in existence for some time and are applied typically to medicine containers such as pill bottles. Prior closure concepts dealing with child-resistant closures include closures that require specific alignment with designated locations on the container or will require the cap to be deformed, typically in an elliptical shape, to disengage a detent molded inside the cap. Additional configurations require locking or latching devices coupled to the cap and container to prevent unauthorized access to the material contained in the container.
Although prior child-resistant closures may prevent children from accessing the material in the container, such devices also inhibit the use of the material in the container by adults, particularly senior citizens. Recent legislation concerning limiting access of children to hazardous materials has been adopted at both the Federal and State levels. Such legislation typically requires that the closures prevent or significantly inhibit a child, up to 51 months, from accessing the material contained in the container but yet must allow senior adults and younger adults to readily use the material in the container.
There are also requirements that if flammable material such as gasoline or other petroleum products are carried in a container, not only does the cap have to be child-resistant but there are certain pressure requirements must be met in order to have such containers utilized in the marketplace. For instance, the closures used on containers for flammable materials such as gasoline or other petroleum products must be capable of sealing the contents in the container to an internal pressure of 20 pounds per square inch in order for such containers to be sold in the marketplace. In addition, in the case of a hazardous material carrier that utilizes a spout, the end of the spout must also have a child-resistant cap. The spout that is used to decant the material from the container and the spout that is used to allow air into the container during the decanting procedure should each have a child-resistant closure.
Thus, there is a need for a child-resistant container spout closure that will inhibit children from accessing the materials inside of a container. There is a further need for a child-resistant container closure that will allow adults, including senior citizens to readily access the interior of a container having such child-resistant container spout closure. Further, there is a need for a child-resistant container spout closure that will seal a liquid, such as a hazardous material, i.e., gasoline, to inhibit a child from opening such container but yet allowing an adult to readily utilize such container and remove the child-resistant container spout closure. And, there is a need for a container spout and vent closures that seal the contents within the container to prescribed pressure conditions while providing a means to inhibit access to the contents by children.
The present invention provides a child-resistant spout closure for a container configured to hold either a liquid or a solid material, with the container including a fill opening to the interior of the container and an elongated hollow spout having a distal end and a proximate end, with the proximate end configured to align with the fill opening of the container. The child-resistant spout closure comprises a lip formed on the distal end of the spout defining a spout opening in fluid communication with the interior of the spout, with the lip having a closure recess extending through the lip to a spout wall; and, a cap configured to fill the spout opening. The cap has a lock nub configured to engage the lip and seal the spout opening and selectively pass through the closure recess when the lock nub and the closure recess are aligned. When the lock nub and the closure recess are aligned, the cap is removable from the spout. Another embodiment of the present child-resistant spout closure includes a ring formed on the spout wall a spaced apart distance from the lip, wherein the ring inhibits removal of the cap when the cap is engaged with the lip and the lock nub is not aligned with the closure recess. A shelf on the exterior surface of the cap and aligned with the lock nub facilitates alignment of the lock nub with the closure recess and the lifting of the cap from the spout. A tether can couple the cap to the spout.
The present invention also provides a liquid holding container comprising a vessel having a tubular neck defining a fill opening in communication with the interior of the container. An elongated hollow spout, having a distal end and a proximate end, with the proximate end configured to align with the fill opening of the container can be coupled to the container with a closure member having an orifice sized to receive the spout and configured to threadingly engage the container and seal the fill opening of the container. A child-resistant spout closure configured to engage the distal end of the spout is also provided. The child-resistant spout closure comprises a lip formed on the distal end of the spout defining a spout opening. The spout opening is in fluid communication with the interior of the spout with the lip having a closure recess extending through the lip to a spout wall. A cap configured to fill the spout opening, with the cap having a lock nub configured to engage the lip and seal the spout opening and selectively pass through the closure recess when the lock nub and the closure recess are aligned. When the lock nub and the closure recess are so aligned, the cap is removable from the spout.
The present invention also provides a method for removing a child resistant spout closure cap from an elongated hollow spout on a container. The container is configured to hold either a liquid or a solid material and has a fill opening to the interior of the container. The spout having a distal end and a proximate end, with the proximate end configured to align with the fill opening of the container and with the distal end configured with a lip having a closure recess extending through the lip to a spout wall. The cap has a lock nub configured to engage the lip and seal the spout and selectively pass through the closure recess when the lock nub and the closure recess are aligned. The cap has a shelf on the exterior surface of the cap aligned with the lock nub. The method for removing the child-resistant spout closure cap comprises the steps of applying a rotational force to the shelf on the cap until the lock nub aligns with the closure recess. Then applying a lifting force to the shelf while maintaining the rotational force and removing the cap from the spout. With the child-resistant spout closure cap removed from the spout, the container can be filled or decanted with a material such as a liquid. After either filling or decanting a material from the container, the additional steps of replacing the cap on the spout and applying a force to the cap until a lock nub engages the lip and seals the spout can be performed.